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Groups of Two Eighth Notes
The last WebRhythms Lesson covered both quarter notes and quarter rests.
The lesson one exercise had a series of measures that contained four
counts each, because the time signature (the very first thing you see
on the first line) was 4/4. A time signature can also be called
a "meter". In this lesson, we are going to discuss
what those two numbers actually mean.

At the beginning of every piece of music,
there is a time signature that consists of two numbers. One
number is placed on top of the other, but keep in mind that the
time signature is not a fraction. Each of the two numbers represents
a different piece of information.
The upper number (in this case "4") is an indication of
how many counts are contained within the time span of one measure (remember that a measure is the space within two vertical lines
that are called bar lines). Because the upper number is four,
there will be four counts in every measure.

The top number of a time signature
can be anything. A "3" in this position would indicate three
counts per measure, a "17" as the top number would mean that
there are seventeen counts per measure, and "6.75" would indicate
six and three-quarters counts per measure. Yes, although it is very
rare, the upper number does not have to be a whole number. It can really
be anything -- whole, fractional, or whatever.

The lower number of a time signature
is a different matter. It can only be one of the following: 1, 2, 4,
8, 16, 32, etc. (powers of two). This is a type of code that stands
for a particular note value. A "1" in this position would
indicate a whole note, 2 means a half note, 4 means a quarter note,
8 means an eighth note, 16 means a sixteenth note, and 32 means a thirty-second
note. Now that we know what the bottom number stands for, what does
it mean? The bottom number tells you which note value (quarter, eighth,
half, etc.) is equal to one of the counts in the measure.

Here are some examples. In 4/4 meter,
there are four counts per measure, and the quarter note is the note
value that equals one of the counts. In other words, the time value
of a measure is equal to four quarter notes. In 6/8 meter, there will
be six counts in every measure, and the value of one of those counts
is the eighth note. In other words, each measure will have the time
value of six eighth notes. 5/2 meter has the value of five half notes
in each bar while a time signature of 3/16 would contain the value of
three sixteenth notes in every measure.

If you are getting a little confused
about these 3/16 meters, don't worry. I just wanted you to know the
reason why there are four counts in each measure of the exercise, and
why we use the counting system of 1, 2, 3, 4 to keep track of them.
Remember, that each measure doesn't have to have only quarter notes.
Each measure only has to contain the value of four quarter notes. This
lesson will be dealing with other ways to notate the value of a quarter
note.

The new figure for this WebRhythm
lesson is a group of two eighth notes. A single eighth note is exactly
1/2 the value of a quarter note. In other words, if a quarter note equals
one second of time, then a single eighth would equal 1/2 second of time.
If a quarter note equaled one inch, then an eighth note would be 1/2
inch. If a quarter note had the value of a dollar bill, then an eighth
note would have the value of a 50¢ piece. The reason that I'm making
all of these analogies to stress the point that an eighth note is always
equal to half the value of a quarter note, no matter what the quarter
note's duration or length happens to be. Using these analogies, you
can see that two eighth notes will always equal one quarter note (1/2
+ 1/2 = 1).

A
single eighth note is written as a note-head with a stem and a single
flag.

Two
or more eighth notes can be grouped together with a beam. In these cases,
the beam replaces the flag. Why might a composer choose to beam eighth
notes together rather than use flags? In most cases, eighth notes are
beamed together to show the musician how the notes are grouped together
into counts. Music is easier to read when counts are grouped together.

If eighth notes divide each quarter
note in half, and quarter notes are counted "1, 2, 3, 4",
we'll need to have some way to count the divisions of the quarter. We
will be using the syllable "and" to do this.

In order to see how this works,
go take a brisk walk. As you are walking, count the numbers "1,
2, 3, 4" every time your right foot hits the ground. Every time
your left foot touches down, say the word "and". If you are
walking at a steady pace (tempo), then you will see the relationship
between the quarter notes and the eighth notes.

Before you attempt to play the following
exercise, listen to the "bronze" level audio file. As you
count the numbers "1, 2, 3, 4" to the beat of the metronome
(the cowbell sound), you'll hear the 8th note rhythms played twice as
fast -- "1 AND 2, 3, 4". Once you
can count the first few measures out loud with the audio file, then
you're ready to play along!

In performing this
exercise, be certain to keep the speed of the number counts even. Also
pay close attention to the fact that you want the "and" counts
to split the number counts exactly in half. The more accurately you
make your counts, the more solid your playing will become. This lesson's
exercise mixes the pattern of two eighth notes with the quarter note
and the quarter rest from the last article. Remember to play on the
beat if you see a quarter note, don't play on the beat if you see a
quarter rest, and play the beat and the "and" when you see
a group of two eighths.

It might also be a
good time to review the helpful hints that we talked about in the last
lesson:
1. Keep your counts steady.
2. If you can't play it, you're too fast.
3. Play each exercise several times (25-50 should be enough).
4. Count out loud.
5. Keep your counts short and crisp.
6. Keep your eyes in front of your hands. In other words, "look
ahead"!